Inheritance
by lightbright90
Summary: Edward Cullen is the crown prince of all vampires. In order to ascend to the throne, he must have a queen. He believes Bella Swan is his destined partner, but can he convince her to lead by his side? AU ON HIATUS.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: These are a very different type of vampire from those in Twilight. They are mostly inspired by the type of vampire shown in the manga/anime Vampire Knight. Neither of these are things that I own. Thank you for reading my story!

XXX

Prologue

Edward entered the chambers deep within the confines of Volterra. Normally, he would let his anger and displeasure show, but he was not dealing with ordinary vampires today. He would be meeting with the Tribunal in just a matter of moments. Aside from himself, they were the most powerful vampires of his kind.

Edward strode confidently into the Great Hall, where the Tribunal convened. He came to a stop before three cloaked figures sitting in what could only be called thrones. It was the place where the king and queen had normally sat, but they had been dead for nearly 15 years. The vampires had lost their great leaders and Edward had lost his parents.

There would be a king again soon and it would be Edward. Vampire law stated that only a Masen could take the throne and Edward was the last of the Masen bloodline. He was determined to bring honor to his family and to valiantly lead his people.

Unfortunately for Edward, the three men in front of him seemed determined to make his ascension to the throne as difficult as possible. Well, two of them. Marcus was catatonic and hardly put out any thoughts that Edward, a consummate mind reader, could read. Marcus' family had been killed on the same day as Edward's. He had lost his wife and toddler. Since then, he had been a shell of his former self.

Marcus' face was a blank slate, which was shadowed by his curtains of dark hair. Aro, his biologically twin, had the exact same physical appearance, except his face was constantly animated. Right now he had a pleasant smile perched upon his lips. Caius was the twins' polar opposite. He had the same pale skin that marked all of their kind, but he had his white hair cut into a short, severe haircut. He was glaring at Edward. It was something that he could not seem to even help doing whenever Edward was in the same room as him.

These three men were the current governing body of his kind. The Tribunal, they called themselves. _What a nurturing-sounding name_, Edward thought to himself with a dry snort.

Aro stood up and glided over to Edward. "Greetings, Prince Edward," he said, reaching out to grasp Edward's hands with his own.

Edward kept his hands out of reached and smirked at the older vampire. He would not allow Aro to use his powers on him. Aro had the power to read every thought that a man ever had. Did Aro think him a fool who had forgotten the dangers that lay in touching him?

Edward gave a tilt of his head to acknowledge Aro's statement. "Greetings, Lord Aro," he responded. "To what do I owe the pleasure of an invitation into the Great Hall? Do you wish to show me how the preparations for my coronation are coming along?"

Aro's smiled widened and Edward read the answer in Aro's mind before he could speak it. "You see, Your Highness, there have been some complications with the proceedings."

"Complications?" Edward asked, unable to gleam the answer from any of the three men's minds. "What complications? I am to ascend to the throne on my twenty first birthday, which is only three months away!"

At this, Caius smiled a smile that was more like a baring of teeth. He had not even gotten up to greet Edward as Aro had, which was a grave slight. Edward, of course, did not expect Marcus to rise because he was hardly aware of what was even going on at the moment.

When Caius spoke, Edward felt his fangs descend. "Yes, _Prince_ Edward," he sneered, "there seems to be quite the complication. I have recently read over our laws about kingship and it would appear that one is not allowed to become king or queen without being married to a Pureblood."

Edward growled. "What antiquated clause is this? It is my right to become king on the day of my twenty first birthday."

Aro gave a chuckle that chilled Edward to the bone. He took a scroll out from beneath his cloak and handed it to Edward, who quickly read over its contents. It spoke of the rule that Caius had just talked about. Edward knew this was not a lie because he could smell that the scroll had been written from the Blood of the Ancients.

Aro noticed when Edward had finished reading the scroll. "So you see Edward, you must marry a Pureblood within the next three months. And although there are only three Pureblood women left, I think you will find that at least one of them to be a suitable match, hmmm?"

Edward swallowed back his anger and disbelief. The three women that Aro spoke of were Tanya, Irina and Kate, Aro's own daughters. All of them were vapid, shallow harpies, who were as power hungry as their father.

Edward knew he had to leave before he caused a scene. There were several Nobles milling around the Great Hall, hoping to overhear their conversation. He flashed his fangs at the Tribunal in a threatening manner, making sure that no one but the three men he intended it for had seen.

"They are quite . . . suitable," Edward replied, making sure that his tone implied that he thought the opposite. "They are so suitable, in fact, that I will need time to make my decision. If you will kindly excuse me, I must be on my way, so that I may have some time in private to decide which of your worthy daughters will be my bride."

Aro's ever-permanent smiled widened. "Of course, Prince Edward. Take as much time as you need. I understand how tough a choice it will be." Aro bowed his head to Edward in a show of false respect. "May the Blood always flow within you," recited Aro.

It was a Pureblood tradition to state these words when parting. It pained Edward to have to reply, but he did anyway. "May the Blood keep you wise and strong," he stated in a monotone. With that Edward quickly exited the chamber, the anger he felt on the way in nothing compared to the rage that he felt on the way out.

XXX

When Edward exited the grounds beneath Volterra, there was a tiny figure standing in the moonlight, waiting for him.

"Alice," Edward grumbled, in no mood for whatever it was she had to say to him.

"Hi Edward," she responded, cheerful as always. Unlike Aro, though, there was nothing false about her cheery demeanor. Alice was just a naturally happy person. She was Edward's sister in every sense but in blood. Her parents, Carlisle and Esme Cullen, a pair of Noble vampires, had adopted him after his parents' death.

Edward continued on, walking casually in the direction of his apartment. Much to his dismay, Alice fell into step beside him, singing the American national anthem in her head. She was hiding something.

Edward released a breath, knowing he was being bated, but yet still wanting to know what she knew. "What is it, Alice?" he asked, his tone playfully annoyed.

Alice grinned. She didn't bother responding out loud because she knew that it annoyed Edward to have to hear everything twice. _I saw what happened in the chamber, but it was also followed by another vision. One that is of great interest to you._

Like Edward, Alice had a special talent. She was gifted with the Sight, meaning that she could see things before they happened.

Edward was finally fully intrigued. "And what was it that you saw Alice?"

_It was her Edward. I saw the Lost Princess. She's our only hope, Edward._

Edward stopped walking, shock coursing through his veins. He could feel it in his Blood. "Where is she, Alice?" he asked

_Forks, Washington . . . in the United States._

"We must leave for Forks right away. I must find her." Hope filled Edward's heart. Perhaps the future was not as bleak as he thought it was.


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I own nothing and Stephenie Meyer owns everything. Thank you all so much for reading. This'll be about the usual amount of time it'll get me to put chapters out. About 1-2 weeks. I'm in college, so things are busy. Please feel free to give my any feedback. I appreciate it.

xXx

Grief is a funny thing. It doesn't feel quite like how the books and movies describe it. In fact, the only way I can describe it is as a lack of feeling. It is like there is nothing left inside of you. Everything is dead.

I have become quite familiar with grief, seeing as how my mother was brutally murdered just over a week ago. While I was off at cheer practice, she and my stepfather, Phil Dwyer, were killed within the confines of our home.

I was the one who found the bodies.

Since then, I've been numb. I can hardly remember anything that has happened. The police questioning me. The funeral. Getting on the plane that I am about to exit. All of it is a blur.

As I walk off the plane, I try to hide the fact that I am dead inside. I do not want to worry Charlie, my father, any more than necessary. I spot him waiting for me at the greeting area in the airport.

I walk until I am standing in front of him, both of us awkward and not knowing what to say. Neither of us is good with emotions.

Finally, Charlie breaks the silence. "Hey, kiddo," he says, gripping me in an awkward one armed hug. "How're you holding up?"

I shrug out of his grasp. "I'm fine," I mumble, not quite meeting his eyes.

I can feel Charlie's piercing gaze on me. He's great a reading people, despite his own emotional deficits. It's what makes him able to perform his job as police chief of Forks, the small town he (and now I) lives in.

I finally give in and look at him, waiting for him to say something. He stares at me for another moment before sighing, apparently not having anything to say at the moment. He gently takes the duffel bag that I'm carrying from me and motions for me to follow him.

The ride from the airport in Seattle to Forks is long and filled with silence. It's a comfortable silence, though. Occasionally, Charlie will ask me questions about my life in Phoenix, but I barely answer him. It's partially because I don't want to think about the place I've just left and partially because I'm exhausted.

Lately, during the day, I've been feeling tired. I've been trying to get more sleep at night, but failing. Sometimes, I feel even more energized during the night than I do during the day. It's just one of the strange changes that have been happening to me in the last few months. I meant to ask my mom about to take me to the doctor, but now I can't, obviously. I would ask Charlie, but I don't want to be any more of a burden on him than I already am. His job keeps him busy and I don't want to take away from that.

I start to think about the other odd changes that I've gone through in the past few months, but the abrupt stopping of the car pulls me out of my thoughts. I look up expecting some sort of emergency, only to find that we've pulled up in front of Charlie's house. For some reason, knowing that Charlie still likes to slam on the brakes is a comfort to me. Despite all the things in my life that have changed, this hast not.

Charlie's house is still the same as the last time I saw it, too. It's a modest two story colonial with chipped white paint. Charlie has never been the type to care about appearances. So long as he has four walls, a roof and a television to watch the Mariners on, he's happy. Like Charlie, I am a person who appreciates simplicity.

I step out of the cruiser and start to head up the walkway towards the house. I stop walking when I hear Charlie call, "Bella!"

I turn around to find Charlie leaning against a rusted red Chevy pickup truck. I was so stuck in my own thoughts that I had walked right past it. Now, I give it a closer inspection. It looks old. At least fifty years old, if not more.

Charlie smiles one of his rare, full smiles at me and reaches out to press something into my hands. I feel the rough edges press into my skin and realize that it's a set of car keys. Charlie's smile widens. "Welcome home to Forks, kiddo," he says.

I look at the truck and it finally sinks in that it is supposed to be mine. It doesn't look like it goes very fast, to be honest, which is something that would not have bothered me in the past, but lately I've developed a need for speed. I have three unpaid speeding tickets back in Phoenix. Still, this truck clearly has character; something that I can appreciate. I feel my mouth turn up at the corners. "I like it, Charlie," I tell him and put my arms around him in a hug much tighter than the one I gave him at the airport.

Somehow quiet Charlie always knows the right thing to do. He squeezes me back and says, "I know about those speeding tickets, Bells. I don't expect that to be a problem driving this behemoth. I had my friend Billy's son, Jacob, fix it up, but even with all of the tune-ups I wouldn't drive it any more than 50 miles per hour, if I were you."

I step back from Charlie's embrace and smile sheepishly. "Don't worry, Charlie, I won't be speeding," I promise. I'll have to find another way quench my thirst to go fast. Maybe I can go for a jog in the mornings.

"Good." Charlie starts towards the house and I follow him. "Come on. I'll show you your room."

The inside of the house hasn't really changed either. The kitchen, living room and small dining room are on the first floor. When we walk upstairs, I can see that Charlie hasn't added on at all. There are still three bedrooms and only one tiny bathroom.

Charlie and I go into the bedroom closest to the bathroom. It is the bedroom that has always been mine when I've come to visit him.

I cannot control my gasp as I enter the room. Unfortunately, it is not a gasp of excitement, but one of horror. Charlie has repainted the entire room and redecorated. There does not seem to be too much of a theme, except the color pink is prominent in every corner of the room. It looks like Barbie's dream house exploded in here.

Charlie shuffles awkwardly in the doorway. "So, uh, how do you like your room? I thought it would be nice for you to have some new scenery," he tells me, scratching the back of his neck.

I force a smile. "It's great, Charlie, really. Thank you for putting in so much effort. I really appreciate." And I do appreciate it. Despite the fact that this is the bedroom of my nightmares, it is clear that Charlie worked hard on making my transition to Forks as smooth as possible.

Charlie nods and taps his fingers on the dresser next to my bed. "There's just one more thing that I have to show you before I let you settle in for the night. I know that it's getting late and you probably want to get to sleep early so that you'll be ready for school tomorrow, but this'll be real quick," he promises. He kneels down next to my bed and pulls out a shoe box, which, of course, is pink.

He pulls an item out. It is silvery and pretty small . . . it's a gun. Oh my God. Charlie is giving me a gun. "W-w-what the hell," I stutter. Has Charlie gone mad?

Charlie stares me down with a look more serious than he's ever given me. "I want you to be able to protect yourself. There is evil out there, Bells. I might always be here to fight it off."

"But, Dad . . . this is Forks. Nothing bad ever happens here," I reply, stunned. He wants me to fight off bad guys with a gun? Seriously?

Charlie breaks away from my gaze and looks at the floor. "There are dangers that lurk out there that you don't even know about. I just want you to be safe." Just like he did with the car keys, Charlie presses the gun into my hands. Except this time is different. This time he's giving me a gift that I don't want.

The minute that the gun touches my skin, I feel a shock. The gun feels like it's giving off weird vibes. It's as if I feel a connection to it. I shake my head in order to clear my thoughts. I must be going crazy.

Charlie interprets this as me disagreeing with him and forces my hands onto the gun in a certain position. It feels odd "That is how you hold a gun," he grumbles at me. "You may never need to use it, but I just wanted you to have it. Just in case."

My shoulders sag in defeat and I put the gun back in the box and the box back under my bed. "I'll use it if I have to," I reassure him.

Charlie nods and walks towards the door. Before he leaves he says, "Just because I might want you to look harmless doesn't mean that I actually want you to be harmless." Charlie looks around my pink room, smirks and makes his exit.

It is then that I realize that he made my room this way on purpose. Charlie is much smarter than I ever gave him credit for. No one is ever going to suspect a girl with a pink room to be able to wield a gun.

As I begin to get ready for bed, the shock of Charlie's actions wears off and the numbness of my grief settles back in. It has been a long day and I simply wish to lie in bed and hope that the sleep that has been eluding me at night will finally come to me.

Before I climb into bed, I hear a rustling in the tree outside my window. It is probably just a squirrel, but Charlie's words and actions have made me super paranoid, so I decide to peek out the window to have a look.

I do not find anything, but I can feel a presence. Someone and not something was in my tree. For some reason, I know that whoever was in my tree is long gone. What is even stranger is that the thought that they were here comforts me. It is a warm, comforting presence. Something about it makes me feel safe.

For the first time in a long time, I feel as tired as the dead. I lay down in bed and the minute my head hits the pillow, I am fast asleep.


	3. Chapter 2

I wake up in the morning feeling rested and ready for the day. I look in my mirror and for once, there aren't bags underneath my eyes. At least I'll look good for the first day of school.

My mind turns to whoever was hanging out outside my window last night. For whatever reason, I know that they meant me no harm. I can feel it in my bones, in my blood. With all the strangeness that's been happening around me as of late, I'm learning to trust my instincts more and more.

I dress for school without much care for what I'm putting on. Jeans. Tank top. Sweater. Whatever. It doesn't matter. I'm not looking to make a big impression. I'm just looking to finish the last semester of my senior year and move on. Maybe to Florida. My mom always wanted to move to Florida . . .

My heart clenches at the thought of my mom. Tears well up in my eyes and I try to think about anything else. The gun!

I pull out the pink box from under my bed and open it. The gun lies there, looking rather menacing. It should make me uncomfortable—guns have always made me queasy—but instead I only feel curiosity. I want to touch the gun, so I do.

When my fingers meet the gun, I get the strange feeling I had last night from touching in it. It's like something in me realizes that this gun is mine. I feel oddly possessive of it.

Before I can freak myself out too much, I cover the gun back up and put the box back under my bed. If I want to make it to school on time, I need to get going.

I go downstairs and into the kitchen. Charlie is sitting there eating bacon, eggs and hash browns. I snort at his choice of food. "That'll kill you," I tell him.

Charlie forks some bacon into his mouth and shrugs his shoulders. "Of all the things that could kill me, I doubt my diet is going to be the one to do it," he retorts.

I'm reminded of Charlie's reasoning behind giving me the gun yesterday and chalk this up to another one of his cryptic comments/warnings that he's unlikely to explain anytime soon.

I just shake my head at him, frustrated at his attitude. I reach into the cabinet and find one of the cereal bars that Charlie bought for me.

Apparently, now it's Charlie's turn to critique my choice of breakfast. "That's hardly a meal, Bella. You've got to eat something with sustenance. I can make you some eggs. Protein is good for you," he instructs me.

I shrug like he did before. "I'm not much of a breakfast person." This is the truth, but at the same time, I'm not being completely honest. The whole truth is that I haven't really been eating much lately. Another one of my strange changes that I don't like to think about. Basically, even though I'm hungry all the time, real food doesn't sustain me anymore. It's beginning to disgust me, in fact. Whatever it is I'm hungry for, it sure as hell isn't food.

Charlie stares at me with one of his "cop eyes," as I like to call them. They make me feel like I'm a suspect being interrogated. He finally stops with the strange look and sighs. "Alright, Bells, but make sure you eat a good lunch and there's fish in the fridge for dinner. I'd cook for you tonight, but I have to work late. Will you be alright without me?" he asks

I smile at Charlie's worry. It's always nice to know that someone cares about you. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I know how to take care of myself." I look at the time on my cell phone and go to grab my backpack. "I'd better go to school now. Don't want to be late for my first day!"

Charlie gets out of his chair and comes over to pat my shoulder. I'm just glad he didn't try to hug me. We've been hugging too much lately and neither of us are huggers. "Have a great first day."

"Thanks, Dad. Have a good day at work." I pat his shoulder, just like he did with mine, but it comes off as being way more awkward. I really am terrible at this whole affection thing.

I walk out the front door and throw my cereal bar into the bushes. Thank God Charlie hadn't noticed that I hadn't eaten it yet.

xXx

When I get to the school the parking lot is already about three fourths filled. Most of the cars are old clunkers like mine, but there are two that stand out. One is a red BMW and the other is a silver Volvo. Both of them look like they can go a lot faster than the piece of junk that I drive. I'm going to have to convince whoever owns them to let me take them for a spin.

There are kids hanging out all throughout the parking lot. As I walk towards the building, more and more of them stop whatever it is they're talking about to stare at me. How nice. The last thing I want right now is extra attention. I just want to be forgotten.

When I get into the building, I'm glad to see that the administrative offices are right by the entrance. No need to get lost trying to pick up my schedule.

Sitting at the front desk is a woman in her mid to late forties. When she sees me walk in, she gives me a big smile. "Hello there! You must be Bella Swan. I'm the school secretary, Mrs. Cope," she says.

I am a bit creeped out that she knows who I am. I've never seen this woman before. My only response to her greeting is a raise of my eyebrow.

Her smile grows, a feat which I would have thought to be impossible, but somehow she has accomplished it. "We don't get many new students at Forks High School and I know every face of every student in this school. I figured you must be Chief Swan's daughter, since you're an unfamiliar face and it says here on my schedule that I'm supposed to help an Isabella Swan settle in on her first day. You are Isabella Swan, right?"

"Bella," I correct her. I like this woman. She's got spunk. "Sorry for my suspicion. It comes with the territory of being a cop's daughter."

Mrs. Cope shrugs off my apology in a good natured manner. "No worries, dear. I would expect nothing less from the daughter of Chief Swan." She pulls out a few pieces of paper from a pile on her desk and hands them to me. "Here's your schedule, a map of the school and a list of our extracurricular activities. I've made sure that you've been placed in the appropriate level of classes based off of the classes you were taking back in Phoenix. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah. Why're you handing me a list of extracurricular activities?" I ask.

"Your father asked me to make sure that you get involved with something," she informs me. "He told me that you were a cheerleader at your old school. This is such a small school that we always have open spots on our team. And I just so happen to know that the coach is willing to let you try out."

"Who's the coach?"

"Me," she tells me with a chuckle. "I really would like you to try out, Bella. I was also told that you were captain of your team back in Phoenix. I could use someone with leadership skills on the team."

I frown. I hadn't really intended on participating in anything while at Forks High. I kind of just planned on coasting through. Cheerleader Bella died with my mom and Phil. Now this woman is asking me to join her team? That didn't fit into my plan one bit.

_Do it for Charlie_, a voice inside me whispers. _It'll make him happy and worry about you less_.

I sigh and force a smile onto my face. "I can try out after school, you said?" I ask with false cheer.

Mrs. Cope nods. "The team practices at three o'clock in the gymnasium. You can come by then."

"Thanks Mrs. Cope." I'm about to turn around and leave, but I realize I have no idea where the hell I'm going. I read through my schedule. "Can you tell me where room 203 is?"

Mrs. Cope points to the left and says, "Go out the door that way and then make a left at the end of the hall. It's the third classroom on the right." She smiles her megawatt smile again. "I hope you find everything alright." Then her voices drops to just a whisper. "And I'm so sorry for your loss, dear."

I smile tightly and leave without saying anything. I haven't even gone to one class yet and already someone has mentioned my dead mother. How the hell am I supposed to get through the day?

xXx

It's lunchtime now and I'm about to head into my own version of hell, better known as the cafeteria. So far this day has been going the exact opposite of the way that I hoped it would.

I've had four classes so far and in each and every one of them the teacher has made me stand in front of the room and introduce myself to the class. One of the teachers even made me tell the class a "special fact" about myself. Meanwhile, the girls in all of my classes couldn't stop glaring at me and the boys couldn't stop leering.

Apparently, I was a hot commodity at Forks High. They didn't get new students all that often, so there was rarely fresh meat to add to the dating pool. This made me worthy of the ire of the female population of Forks and the lust of the male half. I had gathered all of this information by eavesdropping on conversations that people were having in the hallway. My hearing seemed to be improving daily. I really need to see a doctor.

There were other new students at the school aside from me, though. This was something that was a rarity. I had met one of them during my English class. Her name was Alice Cullen and her family had moved here two weeks prior to my arrival. Their move caused quite a stir and just by meeting Alice, I could see why.

Alice Cullen had introduced herself to me before the class we had together started. She was one of the prettiest people I had ever seen in real life. Her stature was short, but she still looked like a runway model. She had lily white skin that was quiet similar to my own, pale blue eyes and the face of an angel. Her hair was cut into a short, wild pixie cut that suited her features. She wore designer jeans and an intricate looking sweater top. She reeked of money. The old me would have wanted to be her friend instantly, but the new me had no interest in making friends period.

Alice was quite interested in making friends, though. I was pretty much non responsive when she talked to me. She started off all smiles and ended up with a scowl on her face. I could tell that she was not someone who was used to being denied. That was too bad though; I just wanted her to fuck off.

I had basically used the same strategy with anyone who had tried talking to me today. They would talk. I would glare. Then finally they would take the hint and leave me alone.

Now, as I'm about to walk into the cafeteria, I realize that I've essentially screwed myself out of having anyone to sit with. I should have had been nice to at least one person. Now I'm just going to have to be one of those creepy loner kids who sit by themselves.

I take a deep breath, ready myself for the misery that lies ahead and enter the cafeteria. I feel overwhelmed once I am inside. It is entirely chaotic and the noise is almost too much for me to handle, but I power on.

I get on line to get food, figuring that I can think about the logistics of where I'm going to sit later. I pick up a slice of pizza, figuring that's safe to eat, despite the fact that I'll probably just end up throwing it out anyway.

As I wait to pay, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to find a girl with a head full of curly hair. I had a couple of classes with her throughout the day. She was one of the girls who wouldn't stop glaring at me. Right now, she's all smiles though.

"Hi there." She sticks out her hand for me to shake. "I'm Jessica Stanley. I was wondering if you'd like to sit with me and my friends for lunch."

God, her voice is annoying, but, despite the fact that I'm not looking to make friends, I really do not want to have to eat alone. I muster up whatever friendliness I have left in me. "Sure," I respond, grabbing her hand and giving it one good shake before letting go. I don't particularly enjoy physical contact with others, so I try to avoid it at all costs.

It's my turn to pay and Jessica hovers behind me. Once I've taken my tray, Jessica loops her arm with mine and steers me towards what I assume to be her table. "We're going to be the best of friends," she tells me. Somehow, I doubt that, but I let it slide.

As we walk, I pass by Alice Cullen walking to wherever it is that she sits. She grins at me and waves. I glare. Instead of scowling like she did earlier, she just continues to smile at me. She's definitely starting to get on my nerves.

Jessica's table is right in the middle of the cafeteria and from the sheer number of people sitting at it that are wearing varsity jackets, I can tell that it is the popular kids' table. The same table that I sat at in Phoenix. This is the very last table that I want to be sitting at now, though. Maybe I should have just sat alone.

Jessica introduces me to everyone at the table. A blond guy named Mike winks at me when Jessica makes his introduction and she shoots daggers at him with her eyes while he's still looking at me. I get the message: he is hers, whether he wants to be or not.

There are two girls aside from Jessica sitting there. One seems nice, the other does not. The nice one is a meek, brown haired girl named Angela, who I'm not quite sure what she is doing sitting here. And I mean that in a nice way. She seems too good for these people. The not-so-nice girl is a girl with hair blond hair and hard grey eyes called Lauren. She doesn't even acknowledge me when Jessica introduces me. She just glares at me.

There are a few guys at the table and they all spend a little too long staring at me. I don't even bother learning their names.

I can tell that sitting here will be an interesting experience. I eat quietly while the others at the table chatter on. Finally, Jessica remembers that I'm there.

"So, Bella," she says, tone friendly. "I hear that you're trying out for the cheerleading team."

I shrug, something I seem to be doing a lot lately. "Yeah, I am. I was captain at my old school."

Lauren snorts. "Don't get your hopes up about making it, new girl. I'm the captain," she sneers at me.

I smile sweetly at her. "How nice for you," I say in a voice full of sugar, spice and everything nice. "But I'm pretty sure I'll be okay. Mrs. Cope was telling me how hard up the team was for members."

Lauren's mouth opens like a fish and everyone at the table chuckles nervously. People like Lauren are never very witty, so I don't expect her to have a comeback until tomorrow at the very least. This conversation is over, so I decide to gaze around the cafeteria to see if there's anyone interesting.

My eyes finally land on Alice Cullen and the people that she's sitting with. Like Alice, all of them are drop dead gorgeous. There are three boys and one girl aside from Alice. The other girl makes my self-esteem drop just by looking at her. She's a statuesque blond with curves in all the right places.

There's a boy sitting next to her with his arm slung around her shoulders. He's huge; he looks like a body builder. He has curly dark brown hair and from where I'm sitting, I can tell that he has dimples.

Across from him is a guy sitting close to Alice with shaggy blond hair. He's not as big as the other guy, but he's still pretty muscular looking.

The last boy, the one sitting to Alice's right, is the one that takes my breath away. He has unruly reddish brown hair and he's built lankier than the other two boys. He has a swimmer's build. Wide shoulders. Narrow hips. The works

I nudge Jessica. "Who are they?" I ask, with a nod to where they are sitting. I have trouble keeping the awe out of my voice.

She looks over there and gives a dreamy sigh. "Those are the Cullens. They all just moved here a couple of weeks ago. They're the adopted children of Dr. and Mrs. Cullen." She begins to point to them one by one. "The blond girl is Rosalie and the blond guy sitting across from her is Jasper. The guy with his arm around Rosalie is Emmett. Next to Jasper is Alice. You know her—she was in our English class. And the guy to her right is Edward. He's super hot," she sighs.

I can't help but to agree with her sentiment because I find myself entirely unable to look away from him. Right now he's pushing his food around his plate with a look of such absolute disgust that I can't help but to find it amusing. I let out a small chuckle.

It's almost as if Alice hears me because her head instantly turns in my direction and her eyes land on me. She taps Edward on the shoulder and points to me.

He lifts his eyes to meet mine and I stop breathing. His eye color is a darker green than I've ever seen before and it's simply beautiful. Everything about his face is beautiful and I can't look away. Not even now that he's caught me staring.

His gaze has my heart pounding and I can feel the rush of blood to my cheeks. He takes note of this and the corners of his mouth begin to lift up until he has a full blown smirk on his face.

And with that one single look, I'm a goner.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I had both real life issues AND writer's block. Hopefully the next chapter will be out much faster.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

xXx

Once a few seconds pass, I look away, unsure of what the hell just happened.

Jessica chuckles. "Looks like someone's interested in you, Bella."

I shake my head to clear my mind. "Whatever," I say with a shrug of my shoulders.

Thankfully, Jessica takes that as her cue to stop talking to me and turns back to talk to the others as I continue to push food around on my plate.

xXx

After lunch, I'm distracted. Why the hell was Edward Cullen looking at me like that? It made me feel as if I were an item on his lunch menu. An item that he really, really wanted to take a bite out of.

The feminist in me finds this to be disrespectful, but there's a small part of me that wants him to look at me like that all of the time. As corny as it sounds, it makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.

I decide that Edward Cullen is definitely someone that I need to stay away from. His presence in my life would only serve as a distraction.

I get lost on my way to my Biology class, so when I walk in everyone is seated already and the teacher has begun his lecture for the day. He sees me lingering in the doorway and glowers at me.

"Ms. Swan," he says, his tone caustic. "How nice of you to finally join us. For future reference, I expect you to be on time to class." He looks at me, clearly expecting me to say something.

Asshole. I raise a single eyebrow and respond with a sarcastic, "Yes sir."

He sneers and points towards the back of the classroom. "Have a seat, Ms. Swan. Lucky for you, the only available seat is next to Mr. Cullen. I'm sure you two will be fast friends."

Mr. Cullen? No, it can't be. I look to find the open seat that he's talking about and see that the only seat is right next to the very last person I want to be sitting near.

Edward Cullen. _Shit._

I make my way slowly down the aisle, hoping that by some miracle another empty seat will appear. Unfortunately, it doesn't. What shitty luck I have.

As I get closer to Edward, he raises a single eyebrow at me and makes a sweeping gesture to the chair next to him. Jerk. Who does he think he is? There's something about Edward Cullen that I find to be very unnerving and it makes me want to run far, far away from him.

Instead of running, though, I plop myself down in the seat next to him and glare at the smug grin stretched across his face. He seems to be a little too happy that I'm sitting next to him. I do have to admit, though, that the boy smells good. Like, really, really good.

He winks at me and then returns his attention to the front of the room. He scribbles furiously on the piece of paper in front of him. I might find him to be infuriating (for reasons unknown even to myself), but at least he is studious.

I inwardly retract that statement once he slides the piece of paper over to me and I see that it's a note.

_Dear Ms. Swan,_

_I would like to sincerely welcome you to this fine institute of secondary education. Since I am also a new student, I thought that perhaps we could be friends. I can already tell that we would be quite suited for each other. Mr. Banner is also not a fan of mine (not that he truly enjoys anyone's company, but he seems to have taken a special disliking to the two of us)._

_It would bring me much pleasure if you would join me for a cup of coffee after school, so we can commiserate about the perils of being a new student in this most wonderful establishment._

_Best Wishes,_

_Edward Cullen_

My first thought after reading the letter is, _what the hell?_ He writes in the style of a Victorian gentleman. It is simultaneously cute and creepy.

Then I realize what the content of his letter said. He wants to have coffee with me. He wants to be my friend. Both of these are things that I am unwilling to do. _No attachments, Bella_, I remind myself.

I decide to write back to him anyways, but I don't bother with addressing his invitation. All I write is, _Ms. Swan?_ I take my time folding it into an origami swan. His style of writing might be fancy, but my style of note delivery is even fancier.

I flick the swan-shaped note over to him so that for a second it looks like it is flying in the air. It hits him in the face. Ten points for Bella!

He picks up the swan-note from where it had fallen in his lap and casually unfolds it, a hopeful look on his face. He frowns when he reads the contents and quickly scribbles something back. Then, he quickly folds the note into a swan that far surpasses the one I made.

I glare at him and he simply raises an eyebrow at me and flicks the paper swan into my lap in what can only be called a swan dive. Ten points to Cullen.

I hastily open the note and read its contents.

_Yes, Ms. Swan_. _You did not answer my invitation: yes or no?_

I take out my set of sharpies from my backpack and remove the red one. I make a heart around the "no" in his note and just slide it over to him this time.

He looks at it quickly and his face goes completely expressionless. He seems surprised. I bet Pretty Boy has never been rejected before.

I allow myself a small smile before turning my fullest attention to the front of the room. Unfortunately, I do not like what I hear.

The asshole teacher—Mr. Banner, Edward's little note said—appears to be assigning us group work with our lab partners. Great. "Please identify the stage of cell division of the slides that I've given you," he instructs us. "I'll be keeping a close watch on some of you, since there are those of us in this class that have trouble following basic instructions," he says with a pointed look at me and Cullen.

I roll my eyes. Whatever. I'm awesome at science. I won't be needing any help whatsoever.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to see Edward staring at me. He gestures to the microscope and says, "Ladies first."

It's the first time I've heard his voice and I'm surprised. He's not American. His accent is almost British, but not quite. I can't tell where he's from.

I realize that I've been just staring at him for the past few seconds and hastily pull the microscope over to me. I put one of the slides on it, take a quick look and say, "Telophase. Your turn, handsome."

He gives me a haughty look. "You barely gave that a glance. How could you possibly have gotten that right?" He takes the microscope out of my hands and proceeds to look at the exact same slide that I just identified. While he's doing this, he decides to make conversation. "So, if you think I'm so handsome, then why did you turn down my invitation?"

I bare my teeth in him in what could never be considered a smile. "First of all," I respond, holding up one finger, "I know my science shit, that how I know the answer. Second," I put a second finger up, "you're not all that handsome." Okay, so I'm lying about this one. He doesn't need to know that, though. I bring a third finger up. "And, finally, I turned you down because that note was ridiculous. Are you for real with that shit? Because I don't think so."

Although I've just insulted him, all he does is smile at me. "What interesting manners you have, Ms. Swan. I can see that this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." His smile widens. "My note was completely well-intentioned, I assure you. I am not quite sure what it was about it that you found so offensive, but I apologize for having caused you any hurt. Also, I apologize for insulting your knowledge of biology. You were right. It is telophase." He hands me back the microscope and bows his head towards me in a manner that is almost regal.

I gape at him. One second he's unbelievably rude and the next he's polite. This is exactly what I do not need in my life right now: having to deal with Edward Cullen's mood swings.

I square my shoulders and try to make sure that my face does not give anything away. "It's not a big deal. Forget about it. Let's just finish the assignment."

His eyebrows pull together and he looks displeased with what I've just said. Tough luck, buddy. "If that is what you wish, Ms. Swan."

"Bella," I correct him.

He ignores me and proceeds to identify the next slide. We spend the next few minutes passing the microscope back and forth and identifying the slides in silence. Neither of us bothers to check the other's work.

We finish the assignment and continue to sit there not talking to each other. I am glad for this. I do not need Edward Cullen's friendship. He's a weirdo. An intriguing, handsome weirdo, but a weirdo nonetheless.

Eventually, Mr. Banner comes around to check our work. "Cullen, Swan, I see the two of you are lazing around," he scolds us.

Edward smiles politely at him and holds up the worksheet that we had to complete. "Actually, Mr. Banner, we're all finished here. Bella's quite the scientist."

Mr. Banner scans over the sheet and looks frustrated when he sees that there are no errors. "Swan, have you done this lab before?" he barks

I have, but he doesn't need to know that. "No sir," I reply sweetly, giving him my best innocent look.

He scowls at the two of us. "Fine. You two can clean off the dirty slides in the back of the class, then, since it appears that you have nothing better to do."

Edward and I head over to where the sinks are. I hand him a towel. "I'll wash, you dry?" I murmur.

He looks at me, confused. "Pardon me?"

My eyebrows climb up my forehead. Seriously, what planet is this guy from? "I'll wash the slides and you can dry them with this towel." I say the words really slowly and demonstrate drying a slide.

He finally seems to get it. "I am to dry these slides with this towel then," he says, distaste dripping from every word. He takes the towel from me and looks at it in disgust.

I roll my eyes at him and proceed to start washing the slides. He's acting as if he's never dried anything before. Ridiculous.

Edward struggles to keep up with my pace at first, but eventually he catches on. Unfortunately, once he does, he decides to talk to me. "Please have coffee with me after school, Bella. I am sorry for my earlier actions. Let me make it up to you." He looks at me pleadingly.

Some guys just don't know when to give up. I realize that I actually have a good excuse not to meet him after school, though. I smirk in triumph. "Sorry, Edward, but I really can't meet with you. I'm trying out for the cheerleading team."

To say he looks shocked, would be an understatement. "You're on the cheerleading team?" he asks, seemingly dumbfounded.

"Yes. I was captain at my old school," I reply, looking at the clock. Only five more minutes left of class.

Edward also looks over at the clock and he starts to look desperate for reasons completely unknown to me.

I put my hand on his arm and ask, "Edward, are you okay?"

He looks into my eyes searchingly. "I'm sorry that I have to do this, Bella, but you've left me with no other choice," he whispers. He picks up one of the slides that he just dried and proceeds to make a cut on his hand with it. Blood begins seeping out.

I'm about to start freaking out when I smell . . . _it_. The greatest thing I have smelled in my life. And it's coming right from Edward's hand. His blood. I know I should be disgusted, but I'm not. I simply want it and I want it now. It's mine.

I grab his hand and bring it to my face. There's an odd aching in my gums that I've never felt before. His hand is almost in my mouth when I hear someone scream.

I snap back to reality. I look at Edward and there is a triumphant look on his face. Whatever reaction he wanted, he got. I need to get away from him.

I run out of the classroom and into the first bathroom that I can find. My mouth is killing me now.

I splash some water on my face, hoping to wake myself up. I take a good look at myself in the mirror and freeze. What I'm seeing can't be real. No fucking way.

I close my mouth and then open it again. Nope. Still there. Now, at least, I know why my mouth was hurting. It was so that my fangs could come in.

Yes, fangs. Shit.


End file.
